Harshvardhan Chauhan – Head - Central Marketing & Phygital, DLF Shopping Malls

Harshvardhan Chauhan, Head of Central Marketing and Phygital at DLF Shopping Malls shared his expertise with My Mobile on this new trend called Phygital which is taking on the retail spaces.

What’s next for technology in retail? What will really disrupt the retail in the next decade will be the new retail in Phygital fashion, which means malls need to stay abreast of new development to offer seamless Phygital solutions to customers. Some of the features include providing navigation solutions, higher services on loyalty and superior apps which improve discoverability and offer personalised solutions. Those in the retail space would know how crucial a role technology has played in allowing retailers to provide product and services with added value to their customers. Not only did they shape the way customers could behave and interact with brands, but retailers knew precisely every shopping detail on the consumer which could be modified to

work in their favor.

How we can push experiential marketing and be savvy in our approach to engagement? Our digital technology products vertical is working continuously towards churning out newer Phygital products towards consumers. Over the past few years, the ways in which brands have been able to communicate with wider audiences has been strengthened by a range of technological advancements.

For many, new tools have allowed businesses to establish feelings of emotional attachment between brand and consumer, unrivalled dwell time, and enviable levels of engagement and ROI. Experiential marketing is widely recognized as a key channel for sound

brand positioning, driving brand recall, creating valuable customer loyalty and starting important conversations via social media.

How are you raising awareness and strengthening audience loyalty? It is important to understand that a customer today has come a long way from its initial stage. Owing to the western influence, the advent of e-commerce and access to a hyper-digital ecosystem, our modern consumer is on the lookout for constant connectivity and contextual relevance. They are all distinct personalities who need a sense of freedom from those generic messaging and ads. Therefore you will find a majority of them glued to their mobiles, tablets, and laptops. They value

those brands that value their individuality and will make sure that whatever is being advertised it extremely personalized. They have higher expectation, in addition to being better informed they are empowered and are seeking an immersive customer experience all around. With so many options at their disposal, their focus is no longer restricted to consumption; they are on a quest to purchase something unique, experience something more customized and lastly all set to disrupt shopping experiences.

Which are latest technology trends that have captivated both marketers and audiences alike? As we progress towards a digital India, it becomes all the more important for us to be in sync with a strategy that enhances and simplifies the complete retail business while addressing the needs of the retail ecosystem. The sooner we begin leveraging this concept the sooner small and medium brands will be able to enrich the shopping experience, communicate better with their customers and deliver better result that will help them scale themselves up. Tele-marketing moved to website marketing which further moved to mobile marketing, which has now shifted base to proximity marketing. Proximity marketing positively exploits activities that consumers are currently involved with, while giving retailers a new channel that reaches out directly to them both instore & in the vicinity. It provides a win-win strategy where everyone involved in the ecosystem benefits from by making it a digitally-empowered society. Retailers can focus immensely on proximity marketing in order to attract and retain shoppers. They can easily reach out to customers let’s say all those within the range of 200 meters and lure them in the form of text, images or videos to make a stop at the mall. As India’s adoption rate for smart-phone rises, the amount of people who can have access to a Bluetooth or Wi-fi enabled phone is at least around $220 million. This, this one strategy is reaching out to millions in a segmented way. Consumers are getting a holistic in-store shopping experience that is relevant, targeted, unique and engaging. On the spot, personalized offers, coupons, and rewards will not only inspire instant customer action but add synergy to create a competitive advantage over others.

What it takes for a marketing functions to recognise the relevant technology and how to stay relevant? Marketing is an important

“Consumers are getting a holistic in-store shopping experience that is relevant, targeted, unique and engaging. On the spot, personalized offers, coupons, and rewards will not only inspire instant customer action but add synergy to create a competitive advantage over others”

tool to attract customers. Over a period of time, marketing strategies of malls has completely transformed, primarily in two ways – one: marketing has become more data centric and second: it has become more centred around technology. In last one year, DLF has opened a couple of verticals which have grown up to take the market initiatives to next level. We have started aligning ourselves to the larger ecosystem like Uber, ICICI, SBI, OLA et al., to jointly solve consumercentric problems – whether it is related to commuting, payments etc., and to come together to provide consumer centric solutions.

We are making sure to keep our millennial customers connected over internet, mobile, and other devices, as large part of consumer acquisition is happening from that end.

How technologies like AR, VR, Live streaming, etc. are becoming new norm in the retail industry? Tech disruption these days is considered the way forward in the retail industry. The industry has already started leveraging the best of it and is continually working upgrading itself with next level of technologies to enhance consumer fulfillment and their overall experiences. Phygital experience is going to change the retail landscape of the country and DLF is well on its way to being the pioneer of providing them to their customers.

How technology is upgrading the customer experience in this sector? We have consistently endeavored to launch more digital products. Huber, an Artificial Intelligence based app which helps in navigating through the physical space while adding to the ‘discoverability‘ of the property for customers through mobile phones, is the product which launches last year.

DLF launched a path-breaking initiative with an online BTL Booking portal where a brand can book, block, auction, receive invoices, make online payments and acquire gates passes for BTL activation and hiring space. ■